JP2023543468A - Aerosol generation device equipped with a discharge mechanism using lever action - Google Patents

Abstract

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device equipped with a discharge mechanism that utilizes a lever action. More specifically, the aerosol generation device (1) covers an aerosol generation chamber (103) configured to house and heat a substrate (2) to generate an aerosol. a cover (102) capable of being in a closed position (31) and an open position (33) exposing an aerosol generation chamber (103); and an evacuation mechanism (101) having a lever (1011), the cover an ejector at least partially engaged with the cover (102) to eject at least a portion of the substrate (2) out of the aerosol generation chamber (103) when the (102) is in the open position. A mechanism (101).

Description

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generation device that forms an aerosol by heating an aerosol generation base material, and more specifically relates to an aerosol generation device equipped with a discharge mechanism that utilizes a lever action.

In recent years, the popularity and use of aerosol generating devices (also known as heat-not-burn products or vaporizers or electronic cigarettes) has rapidly expanded. A variety of devices and systems are available for heating or warming aerosolizable materials, as opposed to burning tobacco in traditional tobacco products.

Commonly available risk reduction or risk modification devices are substrate heated aerosol generating devices or non-combustion heated devices. This type of device typically generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol substrate containing moist tobacco or other suitable aerosolizable material to a temperature typically in the range of 150°C to 350°C. or generate steam. By burning, or rather than burning, heating the aerosol substrate, an aerosol is released that contains the components desired by the user, but is free of the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning. Additionally, the substrate can be used because aerosols produced by heating tobacco or other aerosolizable materials typically do not contain burnt or bitter tastes resulting from combustion, which can be unpleasant to the user. There is no need for sugar and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and/or vapor more palatable to the user.

In such devices, the substrate is typically contained substantially within an aerosol-generating chamber for heating, and the user typically places the substrate into the aerosol-generating chamber to replace it with a new substrate after it has been consumed. You need to press a button to eject it. However, placing the button on the device may create gaps in the housing of the aerosol-generating device, which may narrow the inlet of the aerosol-generating device and complicate operation of the device for the user.

The present invention provides a smoking article for an aerosol generating device that solves some or all of the problems described above.

A first embodiment of the present invention relates to an aerosol generating device, the device comprising:
- an aerosol generation chamber configured to house and heat a substrate to generate an aerosol;
- a cover capable of being in a closed position covering the aerosol generation chamber and in an open position exposing the aerosol generation chamber;
- an ejection mechanism having a lever and at least partially engaging the cover to eject at least a portion of the substrate out of the aerosol generation chamber when the cover is in the open position; Ejecting mechanism;
The ejection mechanism can be in an ejected state in which at least a portion of the substrate protrudes from the aerosol generation chamber, and in a non-ejected state in which the substrate is completely contained in the aerosol generation chamber;
The ejecting mechanism transitions from a non-ejecting state to an ejecting state when the cover moves from a closed position to an open position, thereby ejecting the substrate by rotating the lever.

This evacuation mechanism improves convenience for the user when using and replacing the aerosol substrate. Just by opening the cover, the base material can be automatically discharged. This provides an intuitive and reliable method for exchanging substrates and also simplifies the internal structure of the aerosol generation device.

According to the second embodiment, in the first embodiment, when the cover moves from the open position to the closed position, the lever rotates back to its original position so as to be in the non-ejecting state; The material is fully inserted into the aerosol generation chamber.

According to a third embodiment, in any one of the preceding embodiments, the cover can be in an intermediate position between an open position and a closed position, and when the cover is moved from the closed position to the intermediate position. , the lever does not rotate, and when the cover moves from the intermediate position to the open position, the lever rotates to eject the substrate.

In this configuration, the substrate is only ejected when the aerosol generation chamber is fully exposed, thereby avoiding accidental manipulation by the user.

According to a fourth embodiment, as in any one of the preceding embodiments, the lever at least partially defines a bottom surface of the aerosol generation chamber.

According to a fifth embodiment, in any one of the preceding embodiments, the ejection mechanism has a sliding track, and the sliding block connected to the cover and the lever slides in the sliding track to Positioned to trigger rotation.

According to a sixth embodiment, in the immediately preceding embodiment, the locking mechanism is such that the lever mechanically engages with the sliding block such that when the sliding block slides, the lever rotates, and vice versa. I'll do what I do.

According to a seventh embodiment, in any one of the fifth or sixth embodiments, the lever is depressed when the cover moves from the closed position to the open position, or from the open position to the closed position, respectively. The protrusion (1021) of the cover is slidably engaged with the protrusion of the slide block so that it can be lifted or raised.

According to the eighth embodiment, in any one of the fifth to seventh embodiments, the cover protrusion (1021) and/or the slide block protrusion are made of metal.

This configuration increases the lifetime of the ejection mechanism and device.

According to a ninth embodiment, in any one of the previous embodiments, the aerosol-generating device has an elongated shape, and the cover is configured to slide in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device.

Preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

1 is a schematic illustration of an aerosol generation device having a substrate, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; FIG. Figure 3 shows exposed schematic diagrams of an aerosol generating device in different states, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

As used herein, the terms "aerosol-generating device," "vaporizer system," "inhaler," or "electronic cigarette" are configured to deliver an aerosol, including an aerosol for smoking, to a user. may include electronic cigarettes. The illustrated embodiments of the aerosol generation system of the present invention are schematic.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, an electronic cigarette 1 for consuming a substrate is shown. The electronic cigarette 1 may be used in place of a conventional cigarette. The electronic cigarette 1 has a substantially elongated shape including a cover 102 and a main body 106. Cover 102 is slidably engaged with body 106 via a slide track (not shown). Assuming that the surface of the device 1 perpendicular to the insertion direction 21 is the side surface of the aerosol generating device 1, the cover is placed on the side surface of the main body of the device 1 and slides along the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the base material 2. do. The cover 102 is configured to slide in the vertical direction of the aerosol generating device 1, with the direction parallel to the insertion direction 21 being the horizontal direction and the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction 21 being the vertical direction. The cover 102 has a closed position 31 covering the aerosol generation chamber 103 when the user consumes the substrate 103 and an opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103 contained in the aerosol generation device 1 for inserting or discarding the substrate 103. and an open position 33 exposing the portion. The aerosol generation chamber 33 is vertically oriented within the body, ie arranged along the lateral direction of the device 1 . In this embodiment, there is also an intermediate position between the closed and open positions. When the cover 102 is slid to the intermediate position, the opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103 is completely exposed. In a preferred embodiment, when cover 102 is slid from the closed position to the intermediate position, cover 102 simply exposes the entire opening of aerosol generation chamber 103.

A schematic perspective view of the aerosol-generating base material 2 is shown in FIG. The substrate 2 may include, for example, nicotine or tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent. Tobacco may take the form of various materials, such as shredded tobacco, granulated tobacco, leaf tobacco, and/or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol formers include polyols (such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol), non-polyols (monohydric alcohols, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate) , esters such as triethyl citrate, glycerin or vegetable glycerin). In some embodiments, the aerosol generator can be glycerol, propylene glycol or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. Substrate 103 may also include at least one of a gelling agent, a binder, a stabilizer, and a water retention agent.

The substrate 2 is porous so that air can flow through the substrate 2 and collect aerosols as it does so. The substrate 2 can be, for example, a foam or compacted strands or fibers. The base material 2 may be formed into a stable shape by an extrusion and/or rolling process. The aerosol-generating substrate 2 is shaped to provide one air channel on one side, or in a preferred embodiment, multiple air channels as shown in Figure 1, and more preferably on both sides. It may happen. These may be aligned with the air flow path of the aerosol generation device 1 to increase the flow of air through the aerosol generation chamber 103. The outer surface of the base material 103 is exposed. Alternatively, the substrate 103 may include a breathable wrapper covering at least a portion of the surface of the substrate 103. The wrapper may include, for example, paper and/or nonwoven fabric.

In this embodiment, the substrate may be in the shape of a substantially flat rectangular parallelepiped or sheath of size 18 x 12 x 1.2 mm, each of the length, width and depth of the rectangular parallelepiped being , for example, may be selected within a range of ±40%. Generally, the length of the substrate in preferred embodiments is between 40 and 10 mm, preferably between 30 and 12 mm, more preferably between 25 and 14 mm, and most preferably between 22 and 15 mm. The width of the substrate in preferred embodiments is between 30 and 6 mm, preferably between 25 and 8 mm, more preferably between 20 and 9 mm, and most preferably between 16 and 9 mm. The depth of the substrate in preferred embodiments is between 3 and 0.5 mm, preferably between 2 and 0.6 mm, more preferably between 1.8 and 0.8 mm, most preferably between 1.6 and 0.5 mm. It is between 9mm.

The aerosol-generating substrate is arranged in the longitudinal direction 21 such that when the cover is in the closed position of the cover 102, the substrate is completely covered by the cover 102 and completely enclosed and contained within the aerosol-generating chamber 103. It is preferable that the length be designed to be equal to or less than the length of the aerosol generation chamber 103. In other words, the aerosol generation chamber 107 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape corresponding to the shape of the base material 103, and the size is, for example, 20 x 12 x 1.2 mm, and the length, width, and depth of the rectangular parallelepiped are Each is selected within a range of ±40%. The length of the aerosol generation chamber is preferably greater than the length of the substrate 2, here 18 mm, and the width and depth of the aerosol generation chamber 107 are the width and depth of the substrate 2, which are 12 mm and 1.2 mm, respectively. Preferably, it is larger than the depth. More specifically, the length of the aerosol generation chamber in preferred embodiments is between 45 and 11 mm, preferably between 35 and 13 mm, more preferably between 30 and 14 mm, and most preferably between 25 and 15 mm. be. The width of the chamber in preferred embodiments is between 31 and 6 mm, preferably between 26 and 8 mm, more preferably between 21 and 9 mm, and most preferably between 17 and 9 mm. The depth of the chamber in preferred embodiments is between 4 and 0.5 mm, preferably between 3 and 0.6 mm, more preferably between 2.8 and 0.8 mm, most preferably between 2 and 0.9 mm. It is.

The rectangular parallelepiped of the aerosol generation chamber has two openings on two opposite ends forming two laterally perpendicular surfaces. One of the openings (the “first opening”) is configured to provide an opening for insertion and disposal of the substrate 2 and can be covered by a cover 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, the body further includes an ejection mechanism 101 (shown dark), a LiPo battery 106, a PCBA 104 containing a controller or CPU, and a PCBA 104 for charging the LiPo battery 1061 and/or transmitting data to the device 1. A USB-C connector 1063 is provided for. The ejection mechanism 101 is configured to eject the base material 2 out of the aerosol generation chamber 103 by supporting the base material 2 through the second opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103 . Aerosol generation chamber 103 is engaged with an evacuation mechanism. This means that when the substrate 2 is ejected by the ejection mechanism, at least a portion of the substrate 2 can automatically protrude out of the first opening of the aerosol generation chamber, and after opening the cover, the user This means that the base material 2 can be taken out by hand.

Before using the device 1 and consuming the substrate 2, the user first opens the cover 102 of the device 1 by sliding it longitudinally to an intermediate or open position. Next, the user inserts the substrate 103 into the first opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103 along the insertion direction 21 . The user then closes the cover 102 by sliding the cover 102 to the closed position 31. The user turns on the device using a button on the device 1 and starts consuming the substrate 2. In an alternative embodiment, a sensor may be placed within the device 1 to sense that the cover is closed and/or the presence of the substrate 2 within the device 1; If there is, then heating of the substrate 2 is automatically triggered. After the user has finished consuming the substrate 2, the user simply opens the cover 2 until the cover is slid to the open position 33. At least a portion of the substrate 2 is lifted and automatically protrudes from the first opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103. In a preferred embodiment, a sensor is configured to sense when the cover 102 is opened so as to stop heating the aerosol generation chamber 103. Finally, the user discards the substrate 2 from the device 1.

A specific configuration of the ejection mechanism 101 is shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c.

The evacuation mechanism 101 is at least indirectly connected to the aerosol generation chamber 103 and the cover 102 and is at least partially engaged with the cover 102 . The ejection mechanism 101 includes a lever 1011 resembling or in the form of a seesaw. The lever 1011 has two straight beams or rods that pivot around a fixed hinge of the device 1. The two beams are integrated into one part and form a fixed angle. The upper end of one of the two beams is configured to support the substrate as the bottom (internal lower surface or floor) of the aerosol generation chamber 103 while the substrate 2 is being heated, It sticks out inside 103. Therefore, when the cover 102 is slid open, at least a portion of the substrate 2 is discharged out of the first opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103. The lever movement of the lever 1011 is triggered by the cover 102 and can be divided into two states: an ejecting state and a non-ejecting state. In the ejected state, the substrate 2 protrudes from the aerosol generation chamber 103, and in the non-ejected state, the substrate 2 is completely contained by the aerosol generation chamber 103. When the cover 102 moves from the closed position 31 to the open position 33, the ejection mechanism 101 transitions from the non-ejection state to the ejection state, thereby ejecting the substrate 2 by rotating the lever 1011. More specifically, when the cover 102 slides from the closed position 31 to the intermediate position 32, the lever 1011 does not rotate, and when the cover 102 slides from the intermediate position 32 to the open position 33, the lever 1011 rotates due to the movement of the lever. , the base material 2 is discharged.

The ejection mechanism further includes a slide track 1013 in which the slide block 1012 is positioned and configured to engage the cover and lever to trigger the lever movement of the lever 1011. The slide track 1013 is arranged along the lateral direction of the device 1, and the slide block 1012 moves along the same axis. Along its axis, the slide block has two opposite ends. The first end has an inclined plane and at least a portion of the second end forms an arc. The cover 102 includes a protrusion with an inclined plane that slidingly engages and cooperates with the inclined surface of the slide block 1012 between the intermediate position 32 and the closed position 33. In other words, when the cover moves from the intermediate position 32 to the closed position 33, the inclined surface of the protrusion of the cover 102 pushes the slide block 1012 so that the slide block 1012 moves downward, and the arc of the slide block 1012 acts as a lever. One beam of the lever 1011 is pushed down and the other beam of the lever 1011 is lifted by the lever movement.

In a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the ejection mechanism comprises or is preferably made of a metallic material, and the protrusion 1021 of the cover 102 and/or the inclined surface of the slide block 1012 is preferably made of metal. ing.

In another preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism is configured to mechanically engage the lever 1011 with the arc of the sliding block 1012 such that the lever 1011 rotates as the sliding block 1012 slides, and vice versa. (not shown) is configured. More specifically, in one embodiment, a spring may be placed under the beam of lever 1011. In another embodiment, a ring may be placed on the slide block 1012, through which the beam of the lever 1011 extends. In yet another embodiment, magnets may be placed within the lever 1011 and slide block 1012. With this locking mechanism, the lever beam rotates and moves together with the slide block 1012 and cover 102. Thus, the substrate 2 is automatically inserted into the heating chamber 103 from the closed position 33 to the intermediate position 32 by downward rotation of the beam of the lever 1011 supporting the substrate 2.

In other embodiments, device 1 may not be configured with a fixed device. A user can insert the substrate 2 into the aerosol generation chamber 102 when the cover 102 is in the open position 33. Since the beam of the lever 1011 near the heating chamber is lifted and projects into the aerosol generation chamber 102, the substrate 2 also projects at least partially outside the aerosol generation chamber 102. When the cover slides from the intermediate position 32 to the closed position 31, the user simply needs to hold the device 1 horizontally so that the weight of the substrate 2 causes the lever to return due to gravity.

In the following, the processes carried out by the ejection mechanism 101 in the device 1 and the different states of the ejection mechanism 101, more specifically the ejected and non-ejected states, will be discussed with reference to FIGS. 3a to 3c.

[Non-emission state]
In Figures 3a and 3b, the ejection mechanism 101 is in a non-ejecting state. The substrate 2 is completely inserted into the aerosol generation chamber 103. One beam of the lever 1011 supporting the substrate 2 is pushed down by the substrate, and the other beam of the lever 1011 is lifted together with the slide block 1012.

When the user slides the cover vertically from the closed position 31 to the intermediate position 32, the ejection device remains in the non-ejected state. The distance L1 between the protrusion of the cover 102 and the end of the cover that covers the aerosol generation chamber 103 is configured to be longer than the width of the aerosol generation chamber 103. In this configuration, the cover is slid to the intermediate position 32 such that during the transition from the non-evacuation state to the ejection state, the substrate 2 and the first opening of the aerosol generation chamber 103 are fully exposed. , the lever 1011 begins to rotate and pivot about a fixed hinge or about a lever fulcrum within the device.

[Discharge status]
FIG. 3c shows the ejection state of the ejection mechanism 101. The cover has been slid to the open position 33. A stop structure (not shown) is arranged within the device 1 to prevent the cover 102 from sliding further rearward. A fixing structure (not shown) may also be arranged within the device 1 so that the cover 102 is bistable, ie, the cover 102 can stably maintain an open or closed position. The fixation structure may consist of a central spring or magnet. The slide block 1012 is pushed by the trapezoidal protrusion of the cover 102 and slides downward.

The beam of the lever 1011 connected to the slide block 1012 is pushed down, and the other beam of the lever 1011 is lifted and projects into the aerosol generation chamber 103. The substrate 2 is supported and protrudes from the aerosol generating device, and the user disposes of the substrate 2 out of the device.

Claims (9)

an aerosol generation chamber (103) configured to house and heat a substrate (2) to generate an aerosol;
a cover (102) that can be in a closed position (31) covering said aerosol generation chamber (103) and in an open position (33) exposing said aerosol generation chamber (103);
an ejection mechanism (101) having a lever (1011) for removing at least a portion of the substrate (2) from the aerosol generation chamber (103) when the cover (102) is in the open position; an ejection mechanism (101) at least partially engaged with the cover (102) to eject the
The ejection mechanism (101) is arranged in a ejection state in which the base material (2) protrudes from the aerosol generation chamber (103), and in a discharge state in which the base material (2) is completely accommodated in the aerosol generation chamber (103). can be in a non-emission state,
The ejection mechanism (101) transitions from the non-ejection state to the ejection state when the cover (102) moves from the closed position (31) to the open position (33), thereby causing the lever (1011) to transition from the non-ejection state to the ejection state. ) ejecting the base material (2) by rotating the
Aerosol generation device (1). When the cover (102) moves from the open position (33) to the closed position (31), the lever (1011) rotates back to its original position so as to be in the non-ejection state, and in this state: the substrate (2) is fully inserted into the aerosol generation chamber (103);
The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 1. the cover (102) can be in an intermediate position (32) between the open position (33) and the closed position (31);
When the cover (102) moves from the closed position (31) to the intermediate position (32), the lever (1011) does not rotate;
When the cover (102) moves from the intermediate position (32) to the open position (33), the lever (1011) rotates to eject the substrate (2);
The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 1 or 2. the lever (1011) at least partially defining a bottom surface of the aerosol generation chamber (103);
The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The ejection mechanism (101) has a slide track (1013),
A slide block (1012) slidingly engaged with the cover (102) and the lever (1011) is configured to slide within the slide track (1013) to trigger the rotation of the lever (1011). placed in
The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The fixing mechanism is such that the lever (1011) is mechanically connected to the slide block (1012) such that when the slide block (1012) slides, the lever (1011) rotates, and vice versa. to engage;
The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. When the cover (102) moves from the closed position (31) to the open position (33) or from the open position (33) to the closed position (31), the lever (1011) is pressed down, respectively. a protrusion (1021) of said cover (102) is slidably engaged with an end of said slide block (1012) so as to be lifted or lifted;
The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 5 or 6. at least a portion of the ejection mechanism comprises or is preferably made of a metallic material;
Preferably, the protrusion (1021) of the cover (102) and/or the end of the slide block (1012) are made of metal.
The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7. The aerosol generating device (1) has an elongated shape,
the cover (102) is configured to slide in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device (1);
Aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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